Rafaela Ferreira will make her NASCAR Brasil debut at the Chapecó (SC) round, part of the 2026 season playoffs. At 21 years old, the Santa Catarina native from Içara will drive the Cavaleiro Sports Ford Mustang No. 7 and will have her first contact with touring cars.
The change will be a challenge for the driver, who has experience in karting and Formula 4, but has never competed with this type of car. Therefore, Rafaela arrives with no focus on results and intends to use the two rounds to gain experience and better understand the category.
“I have no expectations at all, only one objective, which is to learn as much as possible. I am very excited and grateful to Ford and Gree, who are my sponsors, for this opportunity. I’ve never driven touring cars, so our focus will be to extract and learn everything these two rounds will provide,” she stated.
Despite her young age, Rafaela already holds significant achievements on her résumé. She was the first woman to secure a pole position in the Brazilian Kart Championship, won a Formula 4 round during the 2025 GP Brasil, and also took part in a Red Bull program focused on developing female talents for the F1 Academy.
In NASCAR Brasil, the Santa Catarina native will encounter seasoned drivers and champions from different categories. Rafaela knows the level of competition will be high, but she sees the opportunity as a chance to learn from her rivals.
“It’s an extremely competitive category, with champions from various series in Brazil and around the world. Carrying the NASCAR badge on her chest and sharing the track with them is challenging and will be an honor,” she emphasized.
The Chapecó debut will also be Rafaela’s first experience on an oval. She has watched the races held in this format throughout the season and expects to find a lot of balance on the track. After the Santa Catarina round, the championship ends in Brasília (DF).
“The oval rounds this season showed how much the details matter and the competitiveness across the entire grid. I can’t expect anything different from that! I’m excited,” she concluded.
With Rafaela joining, NASCAR Brasil now counts one more woman on the grid, alongside Bruna Tomaselli, Tatiana Calderón, and Antonella Bassani.
